Charts: America before and after 9-11

Osama bin Laden set out to bankruptAmerica. Since 9-11, the United States has funded two declared wars and built a new department dedicated to homeland security. We’ve also lowered taxes for the wealthy. You can see some of the results of that in the charts below, from the opening segment of last night’s show.

“Now, as a measure of America’s strength, the modern impossibility of the middle class is not something to feel romantic or wishful or, again, even ideological about, not at a time like this,” Rachel said. “But it is worth thinking about whether or not America has a strong resilient economy. Rich people being really rich, that alone does not give you a strong economy or a strong nation. That can just be feudalism with cable.”